JPH11156033A - Shutter mechanism for ball passage - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a shutter mechanism capable of surely closing plural ball passages to obstruct the passing of balls. SOLUTION: Respecive pawls 15 for advancing into the ball passages 21 of several columns and closing the ball passages are attached to an attaching plate 11, respectively independently rotatably through a rotary shaft 16. A spring 17 for moving the pawl is provided near the side of the tip 15a of the pawl and the elevation of the tip is allowed as well while energizing the tip 15a downwards. The attaching plate 11 is attracted and elevated by a solenoid 13. When the sttaching plate is elevated, the pawl is also elevated and the ball passage is opened (figure B). When the energizing of the solenoid 13 is interrupted, the operation of a coil spring 14 gets synergistic, the attaching plate and the pawl are lowered and the tip 15a of the pawl 15 advances into the ball passage and closes it. At is time, as shown by a broken line in the figure A, when the tip of the pawl is abutted near the vertex of a Pachinko (Japanese pinball game) ball, since the pawl 15 is rotated and the tip 15a approaches the attaching plate 11, the attaching plate itself is lowered further and the other pawl is lowered further.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a shutter mechanism for a ball passage having a plurality of rows.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general pachinko parlors, ball counters used by customers are arranged at key points in the parlor. On the other hand, recently, there has been a proposal to attach a ball counter to each pachinko machine. In other words, the customer handles the ball counter while playing, automatically counts a large number of balls at the time of a big hit, and returns the balls to the internal mechanism of the pachinko machine. More specifically, the pachinko balls are returned to an “island” formed by arranging a plurality of pachinko machines.
As a result, the pachinko balls are returned to the island, so that they can be directly used as win balls (prize balls) to be supplied to each of the pachinko machines constituting the island.

[0003] The counted balls are managed as electronic information, and pachinko balls are issued again to the customer or a ball storage card (IC card or the like) for prize exchange is issued according to the customer's request. I do. Also, this eliminates the need to rush the dollar box at the time of the jackpot, delaying to bring the dollar box, the lower plate becomes full and the hit balls are not discharged, and the big hit There is no situation where the rights disappear on the way.

Further, the conventional ball counting machine for each pachinko machine is designed according to the form of each pachinko machine. The ball counting machine receives balls discharged from the ball discharge port of the lower plate of the pachinko machine. The ball is guided to the passage and the counted balls are taken into a platform mechanism called a platform sand. Then, the pachinko balls are returned to the pipe line (path for flowing the pachinko balls) around the island through the inter-table mechanism.

In the above-described conventional ball counting machine for each pachinko machine, a large number of pachinko balls are arranged in a line and guided to a ball counting passage. The limit of such a ball counting passage is two rows at most. Therefore, it is difficult to completely eliminate clogging and failure in this portion.

[0006] When a ball is clogged, there is a demand to prevent the pachinko balls from flowing further and the ball clogging state from deteriorating. Also, if the counting machine breaks down or normal counting cannot be performed due to a power outage, etc., the pachinko balls cannot be counted even if they pass in front of the counting machine in that state, so the pachinko balls move in the ball path as well. There is a request to stop doing so.

Further, if the pachinko balls that have already passed through the counter flow backward when the path is opened to eliminate the clogging in the ball path, there is a possibility that the pachinko balls that have flowed back again when the clogging is cleared may be counted. There is a demand to stop the movement of the pachinko balls in the ball passage in order to prevent such backflow.

On the other hand, a pachinko parlor has a large-scale and complicated pachinko ball conveying path system. This transport path system may cause an abnormality for some reason, and pachinko balls may be jammed in a certain portion of the passage, or balls may flow in the opposite direction. Therefore, when clogging occurs, it is necessary to stop the flow of pachinko balls into the passage on the upstream side.

Therefore, a shutter mechanism for stopping the flow of pachinko balls is provided at an appropriate position in the ball passages arranged at various places in the pachinko parlor. FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example of a conventional shutter mechanism.

That is, the shutter mechanism 1 is installed above a plurality of rows of ball passages 2 that are open at the top. Then, the pawl 3 moving up and down moves down to enter the ball passage 2 to block the passage and prevent the movement of the pachinko ball 5. The pawls 3 are fixed to the lower surface of a band-shaped mounting plate 6, and the mounting plate 6 is connected to a solenoid 8 via a connecting rod 7. In addition, connecting rod 7
A spring 9 is mounted on the outer periphery of the mounting plate 6 to urge the mounting plate 6 downward by its elastic restoring force.

With this configuration, the mounting plate 6 is raised by energizing the solenoid 8 and sucking the connecting rod 8, and the claws 3 fixed to the mounting plate 6 are simultaneously raised. Thereby, the ball passage 2 is opened, and the passage of the pachinko balls 5 is permitted. When the energization of the solenoid 8 is stopped, the suction to the connecting rod 8 is released, and the mounting plate 6 and thus the claw 3 descend instantly by the elastic restoring force of the spring 9 to close each ball passage 2. Then, the passage of the pachinko balls 5 is prevented.

[0012]

However, the above-mentioned conventional shutter mechanism has the following problems. That is, since each of the claws 3 is fixed to the mounting plate 6 and moves up and down all at once, as shown in FIG.
Abuts on the top of the pachinko ball 5, the pachinko ball 5
Is stopped between the claw 3 and the bottom surface of the ball passage 2.
However, if the length of the claw 3 is A and the length of another claw is B as shown in FIG. 6B, if A> B due to an error in the manufacturing, the figure ( As shown in B), even if a gap is formed between the lower end of the pawl 3 and the pachinko ball 5, or if the pachinko ball 5 comes into contact with the pachinko ball 5, the clamping pressure is weakened.
May pass without stopping. In addition, the phenomenon that the certain pawl does not contact the pachinko ball and cannot close the ball passage may occur based on an angle tolerance in the ball passage 2 (a downward slope is provided so that the pachinko ball flows smoothly). is there.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to reliably block a plurality of ball passages and prevent the passage of balls. An object of the present invention is to provide a shutter mechanism for a ball passage.

[0014]

To achieve the above object, a ball passage shutter mechanism according to the present invention is a ball passage shutter mechanism for simultaneously opening and closing a plurality of rows of ball passages. A claw member that enters the ball passage and closes the ball passage; a mounting member to which each claw member for each ball passage is mounted; and a driving unit that moves the mounting member forward and backward toward the ball passage. And each said claw member was comprised so that it could approach and separate from the said attachment member independently, respectively (claim 1).

Each of the claw members is rotatably mounted on the mounting member, and an elastic body is disposed between each of the claw members and the mounting member. Each claw member is separated from the mounting member (claim 2).

The ball passage described in claim 1 or 2 can be applied to various kinds of passages. As a specific example, a passage for a pachinko ball can be used (claim 3).

By operating the driving means, the mounting member is moved backward so as to separate from the ball passage. Then, since the claw member also moves backward, the ball passage is opened, and the ball can move in the ball passage. When closing the ball passage, the driving means is operated to move the mounting member forward. Then, the claw member also advances together and enters the ball passage. As a result, the ball that attempts to move in the ball passage comes into contact with the claw member and cannot move any further, and stops. At this time, even if the claw member that has entered a certain ball passage hits near the vertex of the ball and cannot enter any further, in the present invention, each claw member independently approaches the mounting member. Since the claw member hitting the ball moves relatively close to the mounting member, the mounting member can further advance and approach the ball passage. Thus, the other ball passage pawl members can be further moved toward the ball passage, so that the ball member can reliably enter the ball passage by a predetermined amount and be closed.

That is, in the present invention, since each claw member can approach and separate from the mounting member independently, the tip position (the end on the side that enters the ball passage) of each claw member changes individually. Is allowed, the amount of entry of each claw member into the ball passage is in an appropriate state depending on the size of each member and the positional relationship with the ball, and all the ball passages can be reliably closed.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a shutter mechanism for a ball passage according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 4 shows a main part of one embodiment of the present invention. The external structure of the entire apparatus is the same as the conventional one shown in FIG. In this embodiment, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting rod 12 attached to the upper surface of the mounting plate 11 can be attracted by a solenoid 13 as a driving means, and a coil spring 14 is mounted around the connecting rod 12 to constantly connect the solenoid 13 and the mounting plate 11 to each other. Are biased in a direction to separate them. Such points are:
It is the same as the conventional one.

Here, in the present invention, when the claws 15 are mounted at predetermined positions on the lower surface of the mounting plate 11, each of the claws 15 can be moved up and down relatively to the mounting plate 11. Specifically, a concave portion 11a is provided on the bottom surface of the mounting plate 11, and a claw 15 is mounted in the concave portion 11a. This nail 15
Has a shape in which the tip 15a is bent downward,
At its base end 15b side, it is rotatably mounted in the recess 11a via the rotation shaft 16. At this time, the claw 15 and the recess 11a
Is mounted so as to form a certain gap with the top surface 11a '. Further, a protrusion 15c projecting upward is formed on the base end 15b side of the claw 15, and the protrusion 15c
The top surface 11a 'of the recess 11a can be contacted. In other words, the center of rotation (the rotation shaft 16) of the claw 15 is not eccentric to the position of the center of gravity of the claw 15;
Works so that the tip 15a side moves downward (rotates clockwise in the figure). Then, when the claw 15 rotates by a predetermined angle, the projection 15c comes into contact with the top surface 11a ', and further rotation is suppressed. That is, the projection 15c functions as a stopper.

Further, the upper surface of the tip side of the claw 15 and the concave portion 11a
Between the top surface 11a 'and the claw movable spring 1 as an elastic body.
7 is provided, and the claw movable spring 17 is provided with a claw 15.
Can be biased downward.

That is, in a normal state with no load, the tip 15a of the claw 15 is lowered to a predetermined position as shown by a solid line in FIG. At this time, if it is assumed that the pachinko ball 20 is at a position indicated by a broken line due to the relative positional relationship with the pachinko ball 20, the tip 15a of the claw 15 comes into contact with the vicinity of the top of the pachinko ball 20, so that the tip 15a An upward biasing force acts on the body. Accompanying this, the claw 15 rotates counterclockwise in the figure while compressing and deforming the claw movable spring 17, and FIG.
It reaches the position shown by the middle wavy line. At this time, the pawl 15 is urged in a downward direction by the elastic restoring force of the pawl movable spring 17, so that the pachinko ball 20 moves a predetermined distance between the front end 15 a of the pawl 15 and the ball passage 21. The movement is stopped because it is pinched by pressure.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. First, usually, the solenoid 13 is operated to suck the connecting rod 12, and the mounting plate 11 is raised. As a result, the claws 15 mounted on the mounting plate 11 also move upward, so that FIG.
As shown in the figure, the ball passage 21 is opened (pachinko ball 20).
The pawl 15 does not touch the pachinko ball 20), and the pachinko ball 20 freely moves in the ball passage 21.

At this time, the pachinko balls 2
To stop the movement of 0, the energization of the solenoid 13 is cut off. Then, due to the weight of the mounting plate 11 and the claw 15 and the elastic restoring force of the coil spring 14, the mounting plate 11
The (claw 15) moves down, and the tip 15a enters the ball passage 21. As a result, as shown in FIG.
The pachinko ball 20 comes into contact with the tip 15a of No. 5 and prevents further movement. From the timing of falling and the relative positional relationship of the pachinko balls 20, when the contact is made on the front side of the pachinko balls 20 as indicated by the solid line, and when the tip 15a of the claw 15 is lowered as indicated by the dashed line. Just when the pachinko ball 20 passes underneath, the pachinko ball 20 may come into contact with the vicinity of the top of the pachinko ball 20. However, in any case, the movement of the pachinko ball can be stopped for the reason described above.

In this embodiment, since each of the claws 15 can independently rotate about the rotation shaft 16, a certain ball passage among a plurality of ball passages is shown in FIG.
As shown by the solid line in the same figure (A), the other end of the pachinko ball 2
It can also come into contact near the top of zero. As a result, each pawl 15 takes an appropriate posture and state according to the relative positional relationship between the pachinko ball 20 and the pawl 15 for each ball passage,
The movement of the pachinko ball 20 can be reliably stopped.

The shutter mechanism 10 of the present embodiment can be used as a shutter for various ball passages. Specific application examples include, for example, those shown in FIGS. That is, reference numeral 25 denotes a pachinko ball 2 disposed below the lower plate of the pachinko machine 26 and discharged from the lower plate.
0 is a tray for receiving the pachinko balls 20 through the ball passage 21 connected to the tray 25 to return the pachinko balls 20 to the island. As is well known, the downstream side of the ball passage 21 is inserted into a table sand 27 provided beside the pachinko table 26, and the ball passage 21 is omitted in the drawing.
A ball counter is mounted at a predetermined position. The shutter mechanism 10 is arranged near the entrance side of the table sand 27. In the illustrated example, since the ball passages 21 are in two rows, the number of the claws 15 provided on the mounting plate 11 is also two.

In this application example, when counting cannot be performed due to a failure of the counter or a power failure, the pawl 15 of the shutter mechanism 10 enters the ball passage 21 and the pachinko ball 20
Used to stop the movement of

The location to which the shutter mechanism according to the present invention is applied is not limited to the one described above, and can be installed at appropriate positions in various paths of pachinko balls on the island. However, the present invention can be applied to various uses such as a plurality of rows of ball passages that stop the balls flowing therethrough.

In the above-described embodiment, the ball passage 21 is open at the top, and the mounting member (claw) moves up and down. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The nail may be moved from the side or from below. When the shutter mechanism is disposed below the ball passage, for example, a part of the bottom surface of the ball passage may be opened, and the claw may enter the ball passage from the opening. At this time, preferably, a member (a plate or the like) is provided above the ball passage facing the opening into which the claw enters so that the ball hitting the claw does not pop out.

Further, in the embodiment, the claw member is rotated so that the tip thereof approaches or separates from the mounting plate. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the claw member reciprocates linearly. And various other forms.

Further, an example of a claw movable spring (coil spring) has been described as an elastic body. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Various elastic bodies can be used as long as they are powerful.

Further, although a solenoid is used as the driving means, this is preferable in that the shutter can be closed instantaneously even in the event of a power failure. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Can be used.

[0033]

As described above, in the shutter mechanism of the ball passage according to the present invention, each claw member attached to the attachment member can move independently, so that the relative positional relationship with the ball in the ball passage is achieved. Also, since the claw member can enter each ball passage in an appropriate state regardless of the dimensional tolerance of each member, each ball passage can be securely closed to prevent the passage of the ball.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional example.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a conventional example.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a conventional example.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a preferred embodiment of a shutter mechanism for a ball passage according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an application example of the shutter mechanism.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an application example of the shutter mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 Shutter mechanism 11 Mounting plate (mounting member) 14 Coil spring 13 Solenoid (driving means) 15 Claw (claw member) 16 Rotary shaft 17 Claw movable spring (elastic body) 20 Pachinko ball 21 Ball passage

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A ball passage shutter mechanism for simultaneously opening and closing a plurality of rows of ball passages, comprising: a claw member that enters each of the ball passages to close the ball passage; and a claw for each of the ball passages. A mounting member on which the member is mounted, and driving means for moving the mounting member back and forth toward the ball passage, and each of the claw members is independently movable toward and away from the mounting member. A shutter mechanism for the ball passage, which is attached. 2. The claw member is rotatably attached to the mounting member, and the gap between the claw member and the mounting member is changed by forward / reverse rotation of the claw member. The shutter according to claim 1, wherein an elastic body is disposed between the claw member and the mounting member, and the direction of the elastic restoring force of the elastic body is a direction in which each of the claw members moves away from the mounting member. mechanism. 3. The shutter mechanism for a ball passage according to claim 1, wherein the ball passage is a passage for a pachinko ball.